1431: Across the Top of the World 25 Jul 2014
Day 1: Friday, 25 July
Anadyr Embarkation
Most of us arrived in one of two main groups, one flying in from Moscow and the other coming from Nome, Alaska, to the city of Anadyr in the Russian Far East. The airport is located away from the town, across Anadyrskiy Bay, so a barge took us and our luggage to town and the ship, respectively. We had a few hours before boarding the ship and used the time to explore Anadyr, looking into shops, the museum, cafes and admiring the beautiful wooden church above the bay. In the late afternoon the barge again collected us and we motored out to our home base for the next two weeks' explorations and discoveries: the ‘Professor Khromov’, operating as ‘The Spirit of Enderby’, which lay at anchor some distance offshore and awaited our arrival.
Once everyone was finally aboard, we gathered in the ship's lecture room for greetings and staff introductions. Our Expedition Leader, Rodney Russ, first introduced the chefs Bruce and Lindsay, then guides Laurie, Yulia and Nikita, our Assistant Expedition Leader Evgeniya, Cruise Director Meghan, and Samuel and Agnes, the guides accompanying a group from France. Rodney then gave us a brief introduction to the ship and its operation and afterwards we went up two decks to the lounge for drinks and to meet our traveling companions before going to the Dining Room for a late dinner. It had been a long day and most of us retired early, leaving much of the unpacking and cabin-organizing for later as the ship moved out of the bay and headed north through the waters of the Russian Far East.
Day 2: Saturday, 26 July
Preobrazheniya Bay
We woke to gently rolling seas this morning and Meghan's greeting on the intercom as the ship approached Preobrazheniya Bay, close to the settlement of Nunilan, about 200nm from Anadyr. Breakfast was scheduled for 8:30am, allowing us a little extra sleep after our previous long travel day. Before lunch Rodney presented an overview of the expedition in the lecture room, and explained what we could expect, which, as an expedition, included the unexpected. The latest information received indicated that Wrangel Island was surrounded in ice except for the southern shore, which presently had open water. The ice conditions were changing rapidly however and conditions could improve by the time of our anticipated arrival.
We anchored in the shelter of Preobrazheniya Bay after lunch and gathered in the lecture room for the mandatory safety and Zodiac briefing. Rodney went over the lifeboat drill that was to be held a bit later in the afternoon and covered the basics of Zodiac etiquette, how to board and exit safely under different conditions. Later, at the scheduled time for the lifeboat drill and at the sound of the ship's horn, we all donned lifejackets and proceeded to our assigned muster stations to climb into the lifeboats to get a feel for the whole procedure. It was a good exercise for all of us to be prepared for any emergency.
Photo credit: A.Breniere
Day 3: Sunday, 27 July
Yttygran Island and Gilmymyl Hot Springs
After an early breakfast buffet at 7:30 am, we met in the lecture room where Rodney briefed us on our planned itinerary for the day. Pea soup-thick fog would limit whale-watching opportunities, but it was smooth sailing all the way to Yttygran Island to explore. We suited up for the short Zodiac ride to shore and were soon exploring the site.
‘Whale Bone Alley’ on Yttygran Island is an ancient ceremonial and hunting site that was given its nickname from the rows of paired whale jaw bones that form a kind of alley way back from the shore. Most of the tall jaw bones have fallen down but a few were still standing, anchored in the permafrost and wedged in with stones, giving an idea of what it must have looked like formerly. There were also a number of whale skull bones lined up at the top of the beach crest and behind two of these, as well as elsewhere around the site, was a stone-lined pit partially filled with soil and hidden by tall grasses. In one corner of the pit if you carefully bend the grasses aside the precisely stacked stones that still form a solid wall are revealed. One archaeological investigation of the area discovered whale DNA in the pits and it is thought that they were used to store meat.
Tucked in among the lush grasses that blanketed the area behind the beach were Bluebells and Monks' Hood flowers, both in beautiful rich shades of blue. Rising up from the grassy area was a long, smooth expanse of tundra reaching up to a saddle between two low peaks. Part of the lower area was a jumble of rocks and boulders that served as great habitat for shy Pikas (rabbit relatives) that could best be seen by patient observers willing to sit quietly in one spot for a time. We found bear scat on the beach, leaving no doubt that bears had been in the area, and a dead Walrus that was missing just its head, an indication that the animal had been killed for its ivory tusks and not hunted for food.
In the afternoon we visited the nearby area of Gilmymyl. At the landing site we met Ivan, a local Chukchi who spends his summers catching and drying salmon. He graciously showed us to his house where we were able to photograph his pet Arctic Ground Squirrel that scampered and scurried about under our feet. Ivan told us that a Red Fox had a den and some kits under one of the out-buildings, so some people went off to see if they could spot them. We first heard and then saw several Sandhill Cranes winging their way across the tundra and a pair landed in a lagoon near the beach. A Peregrine Falcon was also spotted hunting along the river.
One group explored the tundra flora, excited by the wide variety of plants including Dwarf Birches and willows and a broad patch of Cloudberries that were not yet quite ripe. Another group headed off through the tundra and along the river, intent on some hot-tubbing opportunities. Gilmymyl features an area of hot springs where a rustic wooden soaking tub has been built to collect the warm waters.
In the bar that evening Samuel went over the wildlife and birds we had seen that day, and Laurie provided some information on the tundra vegetation. Rodney briefly outlined the plan for Cape Dezhnev the following day, 119 nm away, then it was off to dinner and bed for most.
Photo: A.Breniere
Photo: M.Kelly
Day 4: Monday, 28 July
Cape Dezhnev and Uelen Village
An early breakfast was scheduled as we arrived at Cape Dezhnev. It had been smooth sailing all through the night and we woke to a foggy morning. After fortifying ourselves from the breakfast buffet, we met in the lecture room where Rodney provided an introduction to the former village of Naukan located on the Cape. The site had been occupied for at least 2,000 years when in 1957, the residents of Naukan were relocated to other settlements by the Soviet government.
From the easternmost shore on the Eurasian continent where we landed, it was a steep climb to the start of the trail that ran alongside a rocky stream and up to the former settlement. At the top were the scattered stone foundations of numerous dwellings. The more modern ones had collapsed wooden roof beams and the older foundations still had huge whalebone rafters spanning the width of the roofs. It looked as if people had left in a hurry as many rusting tubs, pots and kettles remained scattered over the site. The modern wooden buildings there that had been formerly used by government officials were in every state of collapse, some barely clinging to the edge of the cliff.
Whale jaw bones still stood upright in a few places along the cliff edge. Old photos of the site showed skin boats upturned over the pillars to keep them off the ground. From the sea, the tall whale bones would also have served as markers for landing spots. The whole place did not seem to be the most convenient location for a settlement; perched high on a cliff; boats likely had to be pulled up some distance because they could not have been stored safely on the narrow beach. Moreover, the dwellings must have been fully exposed to the elements. The exposure however, gave the inhabitants a 180 degree + view of the Bering Strait, so for a community dependent upon whale hunting for subsistence, the location was ideal.
There was a monument to Dezhnev at the site and some graves farther up a slope. An Arctic Ground Squirrel posed on some rocks in the ravine running through the middle of the area and several of us got at least some long-distance photos. We also spotted large flocks of Eider Ducks flying south, which we were told portended an early autumn.
We left Cape Dezhnev later that morning for our next stop, the village of Uelen that lay farther along the coast. Some whales were spotted en route and while we waited offshore Uelen for clearance from the Border Guards, a Humpback Whale surfaced near one of the waiting Zodiacs then lazily submerged. It surfaced and blew a few more times while we waited.
When permission was granted, the Zodiacs dropped us all ashore and we divided into groups to visit the museum and school. Later we all gathered at the beach and with our ship and a couple of Gray Whales surfacing in the background, the local traditional dance group performed for us. It was great to see all age groups participating, from kids to grandmothers, and we even joined in at the conclusion of the performance.
Back aboard and after dinner, the final event of the day was our crossing of the Arctic Circle at 9:10 pm, 66 degrees 33 minutes north latitude. Now we really were in the Arctic.
Photo: M.Kelly
Photo: M.Kelly
Day 5: Tuesday, 29 July
Kolyuchin Island
A bright sun glared off the sea to starboard this morning as the Spirit of Enderby made a slow approach to Kolyuchin Island. The blue skies were a great start to what promised to be an interesting day. After breakfast and an introduction to the island, Rodney and Nikita went ashore to make sure there were no Polar Bears about and also to check inside the old buildings scattered around the top of the island. Apparently on warm sunny days such as today, the bears can often be found keeping cool indoors.
We received the all clear message and boarded the Zodiacs for a quick shuttle to shore and a short climb up to the site of an abandoned meteorological station which was closed down in the 1992. The birding and photographic opportunities were outstanding from up top, as one could look down and across at the guillemots, cormorants, gulls, and puffins perched up and down the rocky ledges. We spent a couple of hours exploring the site and enjoying the expansive views of the distant shores and then headed back to the ship for lunch. While on the island a few locals arrived from Nutepelmen village on the mainland and joined our group for lunch. We had spotted a group of walrus hauled out on the island earlier and the plan for the afternoon was to approach and observe them from the beach with some advice from our visitors.
Rodney explained the walrus watching guidelines right after lunch and we shuttled to shore and remained in a quiet group to approach them slowly. There were an estimated two hundred or so individuals sunbathing on the rocky beach, with another dozen swimming offshore trying to find an opening in the mass of piled pink bodies to climb aboard too. To keep cool in the warm air, walrus increase the blood supply to their skin, giving them a pink tinge. They lay on their backs or sides with tusks jutting out in every direction, occasionally waving a floppy tail flipper or jabbing at a neighbor who disturbed them.
On the beach there were large clumps of a silver-haired, yellow-flowered daisy scattered everywhere, with the occasional low spreading oyster plant complete with lovely blue-grey leaves and tiny blue flowers interspersed among bright green clumps of scurvy grass. Hopping about the rocks and shore of the small lagoons were a few white wagtails. It was a bit surprising to find a campsite there with a large cabin and a smaller building, but we found out that these are used by locals when out fishing or hunting, as well as by some scientists who study walrus on the island.
Later in the afternoon Megan announced the opportunity for some retail therapy and opened the Sea Shop in the port side dining room where one could pick from a nice assortment of clothing, postcards, books etc.
Another great dinner created by Lindsay and Bruce featured rack of lamb and other delicacies. Most of us headed off to our bunks shortly after dessert, as the ship continued further north, across the Delong Strait to Wrangel Island. 
Photo: S.Blanc
Photo: S.Blanc
Day 6: Wednesday 30 July
Wrangel Island
We continued to enjoy fairly calm seas as we crossed the strait during the night and it stayed that way throughout the day. Following a late breakfast, Nikita's presentation, ‘An Introduction to Wrangel Island’, served to increase our anticipation of visiting this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wrangel Island has been a strictly controlled nature reserve since 1976. In 1997 a 12nm wide protected marine area was added around the island and in 1999 a further 24nm wide buffer zone was attached. Altogether, the 36nm wide marine area and the terrestrial reserve encompass 57,000 square kilometres of land and sea, connecting ecologically important zones to preserve an intact ecosystem. The island is very diverse, having rivers, mountains, lagoons, tundra, coasts plus all the other Arctic landscape elements with the exception of glacial features.
Many things make Wrangel Island unique, among which is the fact that species have been present and evolving uninterrupted for millions of years because the area was never glaciated. A dwarf mammoth was living there as recently as 3,500 years ago and there are 417 species of vascular plants, over twice as many as in other comparable Arctic areas. That number includes 23 endemic species or plants that occur on Wrangel and nowhere else in the world. Wrangel is no less unique for wildlife. The island boasts, albeit sadly, the only surviving snow goose nesting colony in Asia with an estimated 60,000 nests. Wrangel Island is also an important nesting area for Snowy Owls.
Nikita's lecture was followed by Samuel's talk on ‘Vitus Bering and the Exploration of the North Pacific’. Bering's second Kamchatka or ‘Great Northern Expedition’ was the largest and most ambitious expedition to sail in the 18th and 19th centuries. Ten thousand people were on the expedition that had cost an estimated 34 billion euros at the actual exchange rate of that time.
After lunch we made good time towards Wrangel until mid-afternoon when we started moving into broken floes of multi-year ice that slowed our speed. Watching from the bow and bridge, people spotted several small groups of walrus huddled on ice floes and four polar bears including a female with a cub.
For two hours we wound our way around and through the ice until finally the distant mountain peaks of Wrangel Island were just visible in the distance. The going was slow and got even slower as the ice that had been on the southeastern side of Wrangel had moved west along the southern coast and now blocked our path to Doubtful Bay. After receiving ice updates late in the afternoon, the decision was made to back out and try another route westward where we hoped to find open water.
The outside temperature was dropping but people still remained on deck watching for walrus, seals, birds or polar bears until the call for dinner provided an honorable retreat from the cold. We moved inside to the warmth of the dining room and the enticing smells of the hot meal Bruce and Lindsay had prepared for us – crispy pork loin or a delicious blue cod with capers and garlic on rice.
After dinner a late briefing was held to update everyone on our plans. A series of ice charts over the last several days clearly showed the ice movement. This revealed that our best bet would be to continue west along the southern shore of Wrangel and hopefully find a path to shore near Mt. Thomas on the southwestern side of the island. Outside a sinking sun sparkling off the ice made for some great photographic opportunities. This was soon to be repeated however as it rose after only 29 minutes of ‘night’. We truly were in the far north!
Photo: M.Kelly
Day 7: Thursday, 31 July
Cape Thomas and Cape Blossom
Morning found us off Cape Thomas with the ice just visible on the horizon to the south. We repositioned before breakfast in preparation for a Zodiac cruise along the ice edge a little later and a bit closer to Cape Blossom, the westernmost point on Wrangel Island. The rangers who work at the reserve were to meet us at our planned first stop at Doubtful and were now driving to rendezvous at our new position.
After breakfast all five Zodiacs were filled with eager expeditioners and we motored off in a group to cruise along the ice edge looking for wildlife. The sun was bright in the sky and we were not disappointed with our discoveries. Some people went on a brief walkabout to explore one solid expanse of ice on foot. In one area we spotted a Gray Whale that took a few breaths at the surface before diving and was never seen again. Then close by a single Bearded Seal popped its head up out of the water, looked at us once, snorted and disappeared.
Almost everyone had a close look at a number of Red Phalaropes that paddled about in the openings between the ice and farther along we came upon a group of about a dozen walrus resting on a small island of ice. We approached cautiously from several angles, trying to keep the wind in our faces and were able to watch them as they jostled for a better position or shifted around when another shoved a large rear flipper in their faces. Among the group was a young walrus with tiny tusks that was snuggled up to another that we assumed was its mother. Somehow an individual at the bottom of the heap managed to get a flipper free and reached around to lazily scratch itself, or perhaps a lucky neighbor.
From the walrus ice floe we cruised a bit more along the ice before turning about and heading along the shore in the direction of the ship. Flying in the opposite direction, a Yellow-billed Loon gave us only a quick glimpse, but ahead along the beach Rodney radioed that he had spotted a Polar Bear “just behind the spouting Gray Whale” and we motored in its direction. The bear walked a little way down the beach but then went in the water and began swimming. Nikita thought it might be trying to reach the ice and after observing for a while, we left him to go in the direction of his choice and headed for the ship and lunch. According to our latest information there had been no reports of Polar Bears on Wrangel so far this season so this bear was likely the first to come ashore.
A mandatory safety briefing for visiting the reserve was held in the lecture room after lunch and we learned how to conduct ourselves to be respectful of wildlife, keeping both them and us safe. Then it was back in the Zodiacs for a landing at Cape Thomas. The tundra was beautiful with Mount Thomas rising over 500m from the northern coast and flowers in bloom everywhere: poppies, buttercups, cinquefoils, daisies, saxifrages, polygalas and pinks were everywhere!
We were soon joined by the Wrangel Island rangers who had driven over from Doubtful Village in the ‘Trekol’, a six-wheeled tundra vehicle, and we headed off with them into the tundra to approach a lone Musk Ox. Solitary individuals are bachelor males. Our shaggy boy watched us watch him, but eventually trotted off with his long coat flowing out behind him. We then divided into two groups for hiking. One group made a long loop through the tundra back to beach, while the other took the more direct route for flower photography. The long hikers spotted a Dunlin and chick, as well as an Arctic Fox. The short hikers had more time to inspect a densely-haired species of willow and observe the bright yellow poppies tracking the afternoon sun. The flowers' shape and dark-colored centres make the flowers a warm, inviting place for insects to rest and hopefully pollinate the plant.
Before dinner many gathered in the bar to share their photos of the day, socialize, look up information in the library's reference books, or have a drink with some new found friends. As if the first bear of the year, a Musk Ox, Gray Whales, walrus and the beautiful, sunny tundra flora were not enough for one day, a cruise along the bird cliffs at Ptichy Bazaar was planned for 9pm. With the beautiful light of the sun low in the west, we slowly motored along the cliff edge under thousands of wheeling, calling kittiwakes, Brunnich's and Black Guillemots and Glaucous Gulls. It was like being in the centre of a giant beehive. Behind the cliffs high up on the scree slope in the far distance, a mother Polar Bear and one cub of the year were just visible as white forms against the dark grey stones. And dark grey was also the color the distant clouds were turning so we headed to the ship at the end of a long but exciting adventure filled day.
Photo: S.Blanc
Photo: M.Kelly
Day 8: Friday, 1 August
Wrangel Island
A foggy, icy ocean greeted us this morning at Dreamhead, the farthest eastward we reached, but the conditions were such that Rodney decided the best option to move ahead was to retreat and go back around to open water in order to make headway. Breakfast was later than usual, allowing a short sleep-in and shortly thereafter we gathered in the lecture room for a talk by Ivan, one of the Wrangel Island rangers traveling with us.
Ivan, with Julia translating, explained the work they do on Wrangel Island. The rangers regularly patrol the reserve and make observations of wildlife abundance and presence, maintain, repair and construct buildings. They also resupply the field cabins that are located throughout the reserve and assist in scientific studies that include banding Snow Geese and capturing and relocating young Musk Ox to the mainland to establish herds where the species was extirpated. With tourism increasing, they accompany groups visiting the reserve and also work with a number of film crews. It was interesting to hear about the variety of work and Ivan, who has now been on the island for a year, said he loved his work there.
Later in the day Laurie presented her talk on the tundra, describing its characteristics and ecology and how the plant community might fare in a warming world. Following her talk, Samuel gave an interesting presentation on ice which explained the various kinds of ice, the feature's global environmental role and what is happening to it with climate change. Wildlife watchers spotted two Ringed Seals from the bridge and we were treated to a beautiful sunset in the evening. Smooth seas assured good sleeping conditions after dinner as we continued our voyage north.
Photo: S.Blanc
Day 9: Saturday, 2 August
Wrangel Island
Morning dawned cold and calm, with the thermometer reading a chilly 4C. We got right down to business after breakfast with a briefing from Rodney about Herald Island.
Captain Kellet on the ship ‘Herald’ discovered the island in 1849 and named it after his vessel. There is a great account of one expedition with a Herald Island connection by Jennifer Niven in her book, ‘The Ice Master’. One hundred years ago on 11 January 1914, the ‘Karluk’ was crushed in the ice and sank 50 miles north of Herald. Four of the crew decided to leave the ship and came to Herald Island, thinking that it was Wrangel Island, and were never seen alive again. Twenty years later a vessel found the remains of a camp on a small beach on Herald and a newspaper article reported their findings. The campsite artifacts included bones, pemmican, a sledge and a tent under the snow. There was also ammunition and a 30-30 Winchester rifle with the initials "BM" carved in the wood. Under the tent canvas they discovered the remains of men who looked as if they had died in their sleep and because there was still food and ammunition at the site, it was thought that the men of the ‘Karluk’ had succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning.
The other story with a Herald Island connection and a much more positive outcome was Nikita's narrative of his time spent on Wrangel with his wife, Irina, studying Polar Bears in the early 1990’s. Herald Island is the remains of the western wall of the ancient Herald Canyon that ran along the eastern side of Wrangel and Herald islands. Polar Bears hunt on the surrounding ice and females come to the island to den. During their stays on Herald Island, Nikita and Irina recorded the greatest concentration of Polar Bear dens ever found in the world: 12 dens per square kilometre. The island is ideal for maternity dens with its steep cliffs and terraced top with good snow accumulation. These conditions offer the perfect places for mothers to bed down for the winter and give birth. These days however, due to the warming climate and shrinking ice, few females den on Herald because by autumn, when they would normally come ashore, the ice has retreated too far from land for them to conveniently reach it. Herald Island is also far enough from most ships' routes that few people ever reach it either, so we were fortunate to be among those who were able to do so.
The plan was to circumnavigate the island by Zodiac. A GPS heading was necessary to navigate through the fog and with Kostya leading the way, the foreboding sheer cliffs of Herald soon appeared out of the mist in front of us. We cruised beneath the cliff faces that were packed shoulder-to-shoulder by nesting seabirds and some ravens were spotted at the very top of one sheer wall. Two Spectacled Eiders were also seen by some boats and added to the bird list for the day. In some of the snow banks that still clung to the side of the island, bear dens and resting beds had been carved out of the ice. No Polar Bears were seen but a few boats came upon a lone, young walrus resting on a tiny patch of flat shore. It was a lost cub of the year.
Part way through our circumnavigation we drove the Zodiacs onto a long, narrow strip of rocky beach and were able to get out and walk about 50m in either direction. This may very well have been the campsite of the four unfortunate seamen who left the ‘Karluk’ and reached Herald, only to perish there. Now there were only scattered chunks of lichen-covered rocks on the beach and pieces of tundra dislodged from above. We took some photos to memorialize our presence and remembered those explorers of 100 years ago.
As we continued around the island, our drivers guided the Zodiacs through archways in the rocks carved out by the sea, around ice floes and in and out of sunlight that we were grateful to see now and then as it relieved the intense cold of the morning. We rounded the rock and gravel spit that formed the north end of the island and a number of Polar Bear day beds could be seen scooped out in the loose soil and gravel slope which rose gradually up from the shore. As we drove along, the occasional guillemot or puffin would scuttle ahead of us on the surface of the water before plunging out of sight as the boat got close.
In the afternoon hot chocolate was served on the bow where we were gathered to watch for Polar Bears as the ship made its way through the ice. Meghan spotted the first bear, a large male, and soon afterwards we had some good views of a female with two cubs. We eventually tallied a total of eight bears before dinner, the last of which was seen napping behind a mound of ice. The ship came to a halt to keep an eye on the bear while everyone had their supper, and then the captain slowly turned the ship in a tight "U" to get a better look behind the mound. The young male bear slept through most of our observations, but once in a while would raise his head, yawn disinterestedly, adjust his position, and put his head back down on the ice. Eventually curiosity got the better of him and he got up and approached the ship to within a dozen or so metres, inspecting us as we took his photo. Finally something alarmed him and he hurried away. The hour was late and we had watched him a long time. The spectacular photos in the late evening light and getting to spend some time in his company made it worth the long wait.
Photo: S.Blanc
Photo: M.Kelly
Photo: M.Kelly
Day 10: Sunday, 3 August
Dragi Bay and Cape Waring
We were in Dragi Bay today, resting among the loose ice and had an early start with breakfast at 7am to make the most of our time. This is the site where Capt. Bartlett and his crew arrived from the crushed ‘Karluk’ north of Herald Island. Their camp had been right on the beach, just down from where we would land with the Zodiacs. Rodney briefed us down in the lecture room. The plan was for three different walks: a good long hike to cover as much ground as possible in our six-hour outing, a second group that would go slower but be out the same amount of time, and a third group that would be out only a few hours and take their time exploring the area. A show of hands indicated who would go with which group, and we were off to our cabins to prepare for our day.
The weather got better and better as the day progressed and no group was disappointed in their discoveries. With Rodney leading the way, the long walk covered 20 miles in a wide loop that headed north and then curved back towards the south. The route included some hill climbs for good views of the Tundra of the Academy of Sciences, and then on past the new house and down the rocky river to Dragi Bay. A number of adult and fledgling Snowy Owls were seen, as well as a Polar Bear. The second group covered slightly less ground in the same amount of time, but reached the southern coast of Cape Waring just before some fog moved in and impeded the view of the bird cliffs. They also spotted a Red Knot and a group of about ten Musk Oxen which included three calves. The short walkers took their time exploring and photographing the abundant tundra flowers: poppies bloomed everywhere, patches of shining white cotton grass trembled in the breeze and mountain avens had both flowers and seed heads. They also spent some time watching and photographing the Snowy Owls at a couple nests along a ridge. Some of the group returned to the ship for lunch while others stayed and climbed down and up to the new building where some rangers were protecting the underside with metal plates.
Photo: S.Blanc
Day 11: Monday, 4 August
South to Kolyuchin Bay
We were called to a very early breakfast again today to take advantage of any early morning opportunities that presented themselves. The dense fog however confined us to the ship for a time. There was still a bustle of activity aboard as preparations were made for the group of five that would be staying on for the special Wrangel High Arctic Expedition. When all was ready and onshore personnel were in place, the expedition team left with supplies and their luggage for a week stay on the island. We said good bye and wished them a good time, as we would not see them again. They would be re-joining the ship to return to Anadyr with the next Wrangel voyage.
At 9:30am Nikita presented his lecture on ‘The future of Polar Bears’ by prefacing it with the some background on the species' innate intelligence and inherent adaptability. Bears survive extreme environmental changes regularly in their lives by changing feeding and social behaviors with the seasons. The species has evolved over tens of thousands of years of past climatic events, including warm periods, and survived. The present warming trends, however, confront them with the additional pressures of human impacts such as pollution, hunting and increased contact in shrinking areas of habitat in which the bear is usually the loser. From over 300 maternity dens on Wrangel and Herald islands in the past, only 30 dens were recorded recently. Fewer and fewer cubs survive and adults regularly appear in underfed, stressed conditions. If sustained and serious protection measures are not implemented, the Polar Bear will likely disappear within 20 to 25 years – that is just one bear generation.
Following Nikita's talk, a Polar Plunge was organized and a total of 11 intrepid divers showed up on the starboard side to take turns jumping into the freezing waters off Dragi Bay. For anyone who had remained undecided about taking The Plunge until that time, the expressions on the emerging divers' faces was sufficient to discourage any further consideration of participation! It was then off to hot showers or the sauna for the divers, then hot soup at another scrumptious lunch by our no-less-intrepid chefs.
Meghan and Yevgeniya organized and opened the Sea Shop for the second time this voyage and people had one last chance to stock up on a few more postcards, future Christmas presents and souvenirs.
During the evening Rodney presented Polar Plunge certificates to the divers before a recap of the day was held in the lounge. He had brought a few books with him to show us and encouraged everyone to take advantage of our time to continue learning about the area and its history, both natural and cultural. Nikita spoke a little about the Snowy Owls we had seen the day before. Each of the two nests we saw had two chicks, which was very few for a bird that in good lemming years, could fledge as many as ten young. Unfortunately, this year's lemming population on Wrangel was not very high. The cries of the adults that we heard were alarm calls to alert the young of a nearby threat.
The conclusion of the recap coincided with Megan's announcement that dinner was served and we filed down to another great meal prepared by Bruce and Lindsay and served by our hard-working waitresses. Priyatnava apetita!
Day 12: Tuesday, 5 August
Kolyuchin Inlet and Belyaka Spit
Megan announced breakfast this morning for 8:30am. The gentle swells from the previous evening continued most of night, but the seas had calmed considerably by morning. The outside temperature was twice what it had been the day before with the thermometer reading a balmy 12C. Right after breakfast a documentary film on the ‘Karluk’ expedition was presented in the lecture room as the ship continued on through Kolyuchin Inlet with Kosa Belyaka (Belyaka Spit) on our port side and a bright sun shining all around and sparkling off the surface of the sea.
Rodney briefed us on our outing before lunch. Adolf Erik Nordenskiold was here first on 28 September 1878, although the area was known and used by the indigenous Chukchi for centuries. The lighthouse back from the beach was erected in the 1950’s and also on the spit is a large cross. The original had been established for a sailor from a 1911-1914 expedition. In 1942/43 a larger cross was erected to memorialize ships of the Northern Sea Route.
After lunch four Zodiacs were launched, loaded with eager expeditioners and landed on Belyaka Spit. Resident researcher Aleksey was on the beach to greet us and a group went off with him to look for birdlife. Aleksey had studied waterfowl on the spit for many years and is the summer resident of the small house there. Others followed Samuel or Agnes out around one of the inland lakes where some explored the vast flat spit on their own while the plant lovers traipsed along with Laurie to sort out the vegetation. Sightings by the various groups included an Arctic Fox, Arctic Ground Squirrel, three species of loon or diver (Arctic, Yellow-billed and Pacific), Emperor Geese, a Red Knot, Long-tailed Skua, various waders, four species of willow, lichens that crunched underfoot in the drier areas and the best sighting of the day – a Wolverine! After three hours everyone was finally back at the beach and the last Zodiac pushed off from shore as we waved good-bye to Aleksey, wishing him the best of luck with his studies. Belyaka Spit, despite its seemingly monotonous landscape turned out to be an amazingly diverse and interesting place.
People spent a quiet afternoon as we continued south and awaited the call for dinner; all that exploring had worked up a good appetite. Some used the time to catch up on their reading, writing, or sleep, and later compared notes and exchanged photos in the bar before dinner. Rodney mentioned that we hoped to be able to do a Zodiac cruise the next day at Ratmanov (or Big Diomede) Island but all our plans depended on the Border Guards stationed there at the border between Russia and the USA.
Photo: M.Kelly
Photo: M.Kelly
Day 13: Wednesday, 6 August
Ratmanov and Kruzenstern Islands
(Big and Little Diomede Islands)
Having sailed about five degrees of latitude farther south than our location yesterday, we now had five hours of actual night whereas the previous night had lasted only an hour. Being so well rested, we were up on the bridge right after breakfast to take advantage of the clear weather and quiet seas for wildlife spotting.
While we awaited clearance from the Russian Border Guards to go Zodiac cruising along Ratmanov Island, there was the unique photo opportunity of framing Prince William Cape, Little Diomede Island and Ratmanov Island in the same shot. The sun was bright and the air clear, so we could see Alaska on the US mainland and opposite that the easternmost point on mainland Russia, Cape Dezhnev, with the islands between the two continents. Such distant views are rare here. Even rarer was the ability to look back at the previous day from the present time, which phenomenon was possible because the International Date Line ran between the islands. Conversely, it was presumed that any people on Little Diomede who were looking westward were looking into the future!
Meghan directed the loading of five Zodiacs and off we went, keeping the boats more or less in a group to explore Ratmanov Island. The steep sides of the island were lush with tundra grasses and flowers and it seemed that there was more soil here than on other bird cliffs we had seen, which would explain the verdant slopes. As we passed below the Border Guard post no one was visible although we thought that they were likely observing us. Only a couple dogs came out to investigate more closely; visitors by sea were probably not something they saw everyday. Being careful not to point cameras in the direction of the installations, we moved along the cliff faces that seemed to have more puffins than any other species; both Horned and Tufted Puffins were everywhere. Farther down the island coast however, we saw other birds including many Pigeon Guillemots and three species of auklet: Parakeet, Crested and Least. Also seen was a small flock of Harlequin ducks riding up and down in the choppy water at the base of the rock wall.
The sun stayed out throughout our Zodiac cruise and the rest of the day for that matter. We returned to the ship in time for lunch and after a bit of a break following the meal, Laurie gave a talk on Arctic plant adaptations. The adaptive value of characteristics such as a perennial growth habit, dense hairs and the cushion shape of several species were explained in terms of their survival value. Laurie's lecture was followed a talk entitled ‘The Forgotten Expedition of the Karluk between Siberia and Alaska’ which Samuel delivered in French. This was well-illustrated by a number of black and white photos taken at the time.
Up on the bridge that afternoon we enjoyed flat calm water and clear skies, perfect for whale watching but the whales must have been elsewhere. Nikita commented it might be a little early for their southerly migration, but not to see at least a few was very unusual.
The lounge was especially lively this evening and the festive atmosphere carried on into the dining room and later for some. Our voyage was nearing its end and perhaps this knowledge animated what we knew was one of our last evenings together.
Photo: S.Blanc
Day 14: Thursday, 7 August
Onward to Anadyr
The calm seas of yesterday were replaced by rockier seas today as we headed south to make our appointment with the harbor pilot in Anadyr for tomorrow morning. Today would be a travel and business day as we settled our accounts, got our last bit of laundry back and began the process of sorting and packing for departure.
After breakfast Nikita gave an illustrated presentation on Polar Bear safety. He is trying to change the way most of the Arctic regards and reacts to perceived threats from Polar Bears, especially on Svalbard where guns are the ‘safety plan’ of choice. One very telling statistic was that on Wrangel, where there are the most Polar Bear v human encounters in the Arctic, no-one carries a gun, no Polar Bear has been killed and no human has died. Conversely in Svalbard everyone carries a gun, many Polar Bears have been killed and several people have died. Nikita's behavioral observations of Polar Bears have revealed that they are very predictable and easily managed by following simple rules to protect both bears and people.
Before lunch we settled our shipboard accounts with Meghan and Yevgeniya in the lounge. Despite the rolling seas, lunch was well attended and Rodney announced that the wind was shifting and the seas should calm down later in the afternoon when the departure briefing was planned.
The seas had calmed a bit when Meghan announced that it was time to gather in the lecture room for the briefing. Rodney outlined the plan for the following day which, although fairly involved, would get us and our luggage to where we needed to be at the right time for our respective flights to Moscow and Nome. He then extended his heartfelt thanks to all for their curiosity, enthusiasm and sense of adventure that made our expedition possible. He also acknowledged the ship's captain, officers and crew in making our voyage such a great success.
Special thanks were extended to Meghan and Yevgeniya, as well as the chefs and guides for all their hard work during the voyage. Meghan then presented a lovely compilation of photos from the voyage of people, places and wildlife that was made available to everyone. It was then time for drinks in the bar and the farewell dinner. Bruce, Lindsay and the team had gone all out in making our special last night dinner aboard and had laid out a lovely presentation of delicious seafoods, salads and side dishes. Dessert was a delicious passionfruit topped pavlova. We all ate too much, but with such enticements it was difficult to pass up a bite of this or another small portion of that.
Conversations with our companions and new-found friends continued well after dinner and up in the lounge until sleep, or the necessity to finish packing for tomorrow's departure, forced a retreat to our cabins. It was still a distance to Anadyrskiy Bay but it would be smooth sailing from here on.
Day 15: Friday, 8 August
Anadyrskiy Bay and Home
We arose to an early call for breakfast to finish any last minute luggage preparations and fortify ourselves at the breakfast buffet for what would be a long travel day for most. With the pilot aboard the bridge was off limits, but we had good views of the Beluga whales that frequent the bay from the decks.
With our bags outside the cabins for collection, we waited for the barges that would take us to the mainland at our departure times. It was a little sad knowing our voyage was at an end, but our photos, experiences and memories will always be with us as reminders of our time on Wrangel Island and in this unique area of the Arctic, and perhaps encourage us to visit again.
